Elementary Level, Block 10—Apostles / Paul
Week 91
Peter—Boldly Honoring and Acknowledging God
Point to Emphasize: We can be those who honor and acknowledge God and those around us.
Reading Reference: Acts 3:1-16; Matthew 4:18
Memory Verse: …Not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think… (Romans 12:3b)
Story Sample
During these past weeks we have had really good stories about Jesus. Now we shall have some stories about some who followed Him. Peter was one of these.
Peter was probably in his late teenage years when he began to follow Jesus. He was among the first disciples to be called by Him. And within a number of years Peter was speaking boldly about Jesus, causing people to turn their hearts to God and follow Him. In the city where he lived, big crowds had heard Peter share about God.
One day Peter along with John (another follower of Jesus) were going to a prayer time in the temple, which was the custom of the Jews. At the gate of the temple was a man who was lame from birth. That means his legs had never worked. This man was being carried to the door of the temple by someone day by day. Since he could not do any kind of work, he was there at the gate asking people to give him money. He was there when Peter and John walked by, and he asked them for some money.
Now, neither Peter or John had any money to give him, but Peter looked at him and said, ”Silver and gold I do not possess, but…this I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ…rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6). Peter seized him by the right hand and raised him up, and that man instantly rose on his feet. This lame man was so excited that he started leaping about. He had never been able to move his legs before, but now he was walking and leaping and praising God!
Of course, this excitement drew a crowd. People were amazed to see this lame man walking and leaping about. They were running to see Peter who they were starting to think of as a HERO! And surely Peter could have used this occasion to lift up himself in the eyes of others.
Many do that today. They make themselves famous because they can put a basketball through a hoop or sing a song in a certain way. But Peter was not that way. As the crowd was trying to exalt him and make him a HERO he simply told them that it was not his power that healed the man. He told them boldly that it was the name of Jesus and the faith in His name that had made the lame man to walk. Peter would not take any credit for what had happened. He truthfully and boldly told them that it was all due to faith in the name of Jesus. And he went on to tell them more about Jesus. He turned their attention away from himself and the man who was healed. He honored and acknowledged God.
Wow, this makes me want to be like Peter! What a marvelous young man Peter was. In boldness he honored and acknowledged God. In many ways we can be like Peter today. Even in something as small as someone saying, “You look so nice today.” We can acknowledge others’ help by replying, “I look nice because my mom bought me this outfit or my dad brushed my hair today.” There are so many ways to acknowledge others and not take the credit ourselves. What other ways can we be like Peter who helped the lame man and chose to honor and acknowledge God? [Storyteller, end the time with this kind of discussion with the children.]